During the Parade of Nations portion of the 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from each country participating in the Olympics paraded in the arena, preceded by their flag. The flag was borne by a sportsperson from that country chosen either by the National Olympic Committee or by the athletes themselves to represent their country.
Parade order As the nation of the first modern Olympic Games, Greece entered the stadium first; whereas, the host nation of the United States marched last. Other countries entered in alphabetical order in the language of the host country (English), according with tradition and IOC guidelines.
Whilst most countries entered under their short names, a few entered under more formal or alternative names, mostly due to political and naming disputes. Macedonia entered as "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'" because of the naming dispute with Greece. The Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan) entered with the compromised name and flag of "Chinese Taipei" under T so that they did not enter together with conflicting People's Republic of China (commonly known as China), which entered as the "People's Republic of China" under C. The Republic of the Congo entered as just "Congo" while the Democratic Republic of Congo entered under its former name, Zaire. Iran, Moldova, Laos, Brunei and the United States all entered under their formal names, respectively "Islamic Republic of Iran", "Republic of Moldova", "Lao People's Democratic Republic", "Brunei Darussalam" and "United States of America".
A record of 197 nations entered the stadium with a combined total of 10,318 athletes. Twenty-four nations made their Olympic debut, including eleven of the former Soviet republics, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, that had previously competed as part of the Unified Team in 1992 and Soviet Union before that. Russia competed independently for the first time since 1912. Czech Republic and Slovakia attended the Games independently for the first time since the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993, whereas Cambodia returned officially after its 24-year absence under the Khmer Republic.
Notable flag bearers in the opening ceremony featured the following athletes: weightlifter Pyrros Dimas (Greece); eventing rider Andrew Hoy (Australia); nine-time Olympian and Star sailor Hubert Raudaschl (Austria); 1984 Olympic middle-distance champion Joaquim Cruz (Brazil) in the 800 metres; track sprinters Charmaine Crooks (Canada) and Marie-José Pérec (France); defending Olympic long-distance champions Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) and Khalid Skah (Morocco), both in the 10,000 metres; fencers Arnd Schmitt (Germany), Bence Szabó (Hungary), and Giovanna Trillini (Italy); rowing legend Steve Redgrave (Great Britain); swimmers Raimundas Mažuolis (Lithuania) in sprint freestyle and Rafał Szukała (Poland) in the butterfly; windsurfer Barbara Kendall (New Zealand); hurdler and world champion Brigita Bukovec (Slovenia); defending Olympic champions Jan-Ove Waldner (Sweden) in men's table tennis singles, and Andrey Abduvaliyev (Tajikistan) in the hammer throw; pole vaulter and world record holder Sergey Bubka (Ukraine); and super heavyweight wrestlers Alexander Karelin (Russia) in Greco-Roman, and Bruce Baumgartner (United States) in freestyle.
List The following is a list of each country's announced flag bearer. The list is sorted by the order in which each nation appears in the parade of nations. The names are given in their official designations by the IOC.
OrderCountryFlag bearerSport 1 Pyrros Dimas Weightlifting 2 Muhamed Aman Boxing 3 Mirela Manjani Athletics 4 Karim El-Mahouab Handball 5 Maselino Masoe Boxing 6 Aitor Osorio Swimming 7 Palmira de Almeida Handball 8 Heather Samuel Athletics 9 Carolina Mariani Judo 10 Aghvan Grigoryan Weightlifting 11 Isnardo Faro Weightlifting 12 Andrew Hoy Equestrian 13 Hubert Raudaschl Sailing 14 Nazim Huseynov Judo 15 Frank Rutherford Athletics 16 Mohamed Al-Sala Sailing 17 Saiful Alam Shooting 18 Obadele Thompson Athletics 19 Aleksey Medvedev Wrestling 20 Jean-Michel Saive Table tennis 21 Eugène Muslar Athletics 22 Laure Kuetey Athletics 23 Brian Wellman Athletics 24 Jubzhang Jubzhang Archery 25 Policarpio Calizaya Athletics 26 Islam Ðugum Athletics 27 Justice Dipeba Athletics 28 Joaquim Cruz Athletics 29 Keita Cline Athletics 30 Jefri Bolkiah Shooting 31 Dimo Tonev Volleyball 32 Franck Zio Athletics 33 Dieudonné Kwizéra Athletics 34 To Rithya Athletics 35 Georgette Nkoma Athletics 36 Charmaine Crooks Athletics 37 Manuel Jesús Rodrígues Volleyball (official) 38 Carson Ebanks Sailing 39 Mickaël Conjungo Athletics 40 Kaltouma Nadjina Athletics 41 Sebastian Keitel Athletics 42 Liu Yudong Basketball 43 Marlon Pérez Arango Cycling 44 Faissoil Ben Daoud Athletics (coach) 45 Léontine Tsiba Athletics 46 Sam Nunuke Pera Weightlifting 47 Henry Núñez Judo 48 Jean-Olivier Zirignon Athletics 49 Perica Bukić Water polo 50 Rolando Tucker Fencing 51 Antonakis Andreou Shooting 52 Václav Chalupa Rowing 53 Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen Badminton 54 Hussein Ahmed Salah Athletics 55 Jérôme Romain Athletics 56 Joan Guzmán Boxing 57 Felipe Delgado Swimming 58 Hosam Abdallah Handball 59 Juan Vargas Judo 60 Gustavo Envela Mahua Athletics 61 Jüri Jaanson Rowing 62 Derartu Tulu Athletics 63 Jone Delai Athletics 64 Mikko Kolehmainen Canoeing 65 Vladimir Bogdevski Handball (referee) 66 Marie-José Pérec Athletics 67 Roger Oyembo Chef de mission 68 Dawda Jallow Athletics 69 Giorgi Kandelaki Boxing 70 Arnd Schmitt Fencing 71 Moro Tijani Boxing 72 Steve Redgrave Rowing 73 Jason Charter Athletics (coach) 74 Patrick Sagisi Swimming 75 Attila Solti Shooting 76 Joseph Loua Athletics 77 Talata Embalo Wrestling 78 John Douglas Boxing 79 Adler Volmar Judo 80 Darwin Angeles Boxing 81 Chan Sau Ying Athletics 82 Bence Szabó Fencing 83 Jón Arnar Magnússon Athletics 84 Pargat Singh Field hockey 85 Hendrik Simangunsong Boxing 86 Lida Fariman Shooting 87 Raed Ahmed Weightlifting 88 Francie Barrett Boxing 89 Lydia Hatuel Fencing 90 Giovanna Trillini Fencing 91 Juliet Cuthbert Athletics 92 Ryoko Tamura Judo 93 Walid Al-Awazem Judo (referee) 94 Yermakhan Ibraimov Boxing 95 Paul Tergat Athletics 96 Choi Cheon-Sik Volleyball 97 Abdullah Al-Rashidi Shooting 98 Sergey Ashihmin Swimming 99 Thongdy Amnouayphone Athletics 100 Einārs Tupurītis Athletics 101 Mohamed Al-Aywan Weightlifting 102 Jassie Mathunta Chef de mission 103 Kouty Mawenh Athletics 104 Mehdi Abdulkheirat Official 105 Birgit Blum Judo 106 Raimundas Mažuolis Swimming 107 Anne Kremer Tennis 108 Dally Randriantefy Tennis 109 John Mwathiwa Athletics 110 Nor Saiful Zaini Field hockey 111 Ahmed Shageef Athletics 112 Monique Ross Envoy 113 Carol Galea Athletics 114 Noureddine Ould Ménira Athletics 115 Khemraj Naïko Athletics 116 Nancy Contreras Cycling 117 Vadim Vacarciuc Weightlifting 118 Thierry Vatrican Judo 119 Dolgorsürengiin Sumyaabazar Wrestling 120 Khalid Skah Athletics 121 Maria de Lurdes Mutola Athletics 122 Soe Myint Shooting 123 Friedhelm Sack Shooting 124 Marcus Stephen Weightlifting 125 Tika Bogati Athletics 126 Nico Rienks Rowing 127 Sergio Murray Judo 128 Barbara Kendall Sailing 129 Walter Martínez Shooting 130 Abdou Manzo Athletics 131 Mary Onyali-Omagbemi Athletics 132 Linda Andersen Sailing 133 Khalaf Al-Khatri Shooting 134 Mansoor Ahmed Field hockey 135 Majed Abu Maraheel Athletics 136 Eileen Coparropa Swimming 137 Subul Babo Athletics 138 Ramón Jiménez Gaona Athletics 139 Chae Ra-U Table tennis (referee) 140 Juan Giha Shooting 141 Reynaldo Galido Boxing 142 Rafał Szukała Swimming 143 Fernanda Ribeiro Athletics 144 Ivelisse Echevarría Softball 145 Ibrahim Ismail Muftah Athletics 146 Iulică Ruican Rowing 147 Alexander Karelin Wrestling 148 Parfait Ntukamyagwe Athletics (coach) 149 Diane Dunrod-Francis Athletics 150 Michelle Baptiste Athletics 151 Eswort Coombs Athletics 152 Manlio Molinari Athletics 153 Sortelina Pires Athletics 154 Khaled Al-Khalidi Athletics 155 Ibou Faye Athletics 156 Rival Cadeau Boxing 157 Eunice Barber Athletics 158 Lee Wung Yew Shooting 159 Jozef Lohyňa Wrestling 160 Brigita Bukovec Athletics 161 Joseph Onika Athletics (coach) 162 Abdi Bile Athletics 163 Masibulele Makepula Boxing 164 Luis Doreste Sailing 165 Sriyani Kulawansa Athletics 166 Mahmoud Musa Abdullah Athletics (coach) 167 Enrico Linscheer Swimming 168 Daniel Sibandze Athletics 169 Jan-Ove Waldner Table tennis 170 Stefan Schärer Handball 171 Ghada Shouaa Athletics 172 Tu Tsai-hsing Shooting 173 Andrey Abduvaliyev Athletics 174 Ikaji Salum Athletics 175 Vissanu Sophanich Athletics 176 Téko Folligan Athletics 177 Paea Wolfgramm Boxing 178 Gene Samuel Cycling 179 Iskander Hachicha Judo 180 Derya Büyükuncu Swimming 181 Rozy Rejepov Wrestling 182 Mary Musoke Table tennis 183 Sergey Bubka Athletics 184 Nabil Abdul Tahlak Shooting 185 Marcelo Filippini Tennis 186 Timur Ibragimov Boxing 187 Tawai Keiruan Athletics 188 Francisco Sánchez Swimming 189 Nguyễn Hữu Huy Judo (coach) 190 Lisa Neuburger Sailing 191 Bob Gasio Boxing 192 Abdullah Al-Izani Wrestling 193 Igor Milanović Water polo 194 Lukengu Ngalula Basketball 195 Davis Mwale Boxing 196 Tendai Chimusasa Athletics 197 Bruce Baumgartner Wrestling
Notes
References
See also 1992 Summer Olympics national flag bearers 2000 Summer Olympics national flag bearers 1994 Winter Olympics national flag bearers